Oae starter



(Nol Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. J. GRAY.. GAR STARTER.

N0. 535,200. Patented Mar. 5, 1895..

Arron/vn (No Model); 4 sheets-sheet 3. T. J. GRAY.

GAR STARTER. No. 535,200. Patented Mar. 5, 189'5.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4..v T. J. GRAY.

GAR STAMER. No. 535,200. Patented Mar. 5, 1895.

THOMAS J. GRAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO VILLIAM J. EDWARDS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-STARTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,200, dated March 5, 1895.

Application tiled January 27, 1894. Serial No. 498.165. (No model.)

AT0 @LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. GRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a .certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Starters, of which the following is a specification.

In a car-starter characterized by my invention, the power for starting the car is stored up by the momentum of the car while stopping the latter, the increasing resistance due to the storing up of such power being at such time in opposition tothe advancement of the car, and hence being a means for stopping the same. Upon the releasernent of the stored up power, it will instantly act as a means for effectively starting the car, no matter how heavily the same' may be loaded. The increasing resistance of the starting power being thusopposed to the momentum of the car will increase proportionally to the momentum of the car due to its speed and load, and hence the power will be stored up to an extent proportional to the load it is required to start. As a means for attaining these ends, one of the car axles is connected with a loose gear by au intervening convolute spring. The axle also carries a clutch device whereof one member is Iixed upon the axle and the other provided with a set of pinions which connect it with said gear. These pinions also engage with an abutment gear, which is independent of the axle. When both of said gears are held against rotation by any suitable brake or locking devices, the spring will be wound up to an extent proportional to the momentum of the car and will oppose the' movement of the car with an increasing resistance until the car stops. By then releasing the gear which is subject to the spring it will turn forwardly and in so doing compel the pinions to traverse the abutment gear. This action causes the clutch members to lock together and also revolve the entire clutch, forwardly, whereby the axle will be rotated and the car started. After starting, the abutment gear can be released, whereupon the gears and clutch will turn as a whole with the axle.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure l is a vertical section through the starting de- Vice on a plane coincident with the car-axle,

volute spring attached thereto, the spring and the chambered side of gear B (with plate c, Fig. l, removed) being shown in elevation. Fig. 4 shows the opposite side of the gear with a portion broken obliquely away so as to show y its peripheral groove for a brake-strap. Fig.

5 shows a portion of a car in front end elevation, and illustrates a brake actuating mechanism, portions of the hollow rotary shaft P and rod Psbeingbroken away forconvenience of illustration. Fig. 6 is a top plan of the brake mechanism and starting device, portions of rods N and N being broken away, with portions of a cross beam of the car being also broken away. Fig. 7 shows in frontelevation, a couple of brake-levers which may be used in place of the rotary shaft and rod of Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. Sis an elevation showing the straps connected with said brake-levers. Fig. 9 shows one of the said brake devices in elevation and illustrates means for releasing the dog or pawl.

In said drawings, A indicates the axle, and B denotes a convolute spring arranged about the axle and having its inner end secured thereto. The gear C is loose upon the axle and is chambered to inclose the spring, which latter has its outer end attached to said gear. The chamber within this gear can be closed in any suitable way so to exclude dust, for example, by an end cap or plate c.

The clutch device is arranged 'between the loose gear C and an oppositely arranged abutment gear D which is likewise loose upon the axle, it being observed that while for the sake `of lightness the abutment gear is chambered as at d and its chamber closed by an ond cap or plated', it can be made solid if so desired.

The inner member E of the clutchdevice is xed upon the axle and is shown in the nature of a ratchet or hub which is peripherally notched so as to be engaged by .any one or more of a set of roller dogs F arranged between the said inner fast clutch member E and the outer annular clutch member G which isin the nature cfa pawl or dog ring or carrier. This outer clutch member has in its perimeter, a series of recesses g, for beveled pinions H which are journaled in said outer clutch member and arranged to engage the opposing bevel gear faces c and d2, respectively of the gears C and D.

In Order to exclude dust, an annular band I is arranged about the outer clutch member with its edgesin juxtaposition to the gears C and D, and in this way, the outer end of the spindles for bevel pinions H, can be fixed in said ring or band I, the said pinions in such case being free to turn about their respectively allotted spindles.

While any desired or suitable construction of brake devices can be employed, I have shown a couple of brakesuconsisting of bands K and L, respectively applied to the grooved perimcters c2 and d3 ofthe gears C and D, and have provided brake operating mechanism whereby the brake can be released from gear C without releasing the brake from gear D.

In order to store up power for starting the car, the attendant will apply the brakes to the two gears C and D so as to lock the same against rotation, and assuming the car to be running at such time, the forward movement of its axle A will wind up the spring C to an extent proportional to the momentum due to the load. This winding up of the spring necessarily opposes the forward movement of the axle and hence the car will be stopped when the opposition of the spring is suflicient to overcome its momentum.

In order to start the car, the attendant will release the brake from gear C, but leave the abutment gear D still locked by its allotted brake. At such juncture, the tendency of the convolute spring to unwind, will act to turn the gear C in a forward direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, it being understood that the terln forward direction means the direction of rotation of the wheels and axle when the car is moving forward. This forward rotation of gear C revolves the pinions H and since the latter are in mesh with the stationary' abutment gear D, they will necessarily be compelled to travel along the same and in so doing cause the clutch section Gr to turn in a forward direction. This action on the part of the outer clutch section throws the. rolls or dogs F in positive engagement with the ratchet or clutch section E which is fast upon the axle, and hence places the two clutch members in clutch, and establishes power transmitting connection between the gear C and the axle. The spring action will therefore cause the axle to turn in a forward direction, and thereby start the car. It will also be seen that owing to the aforesaid gears interposed between the spring and the axle, the clutch will rotate at a less rate of speed than the gear C, and hence ample leverage and power for starting the car will be secured.

After the car has been started the abutment gear D can be released from its allotted brake, and hence the gears and clutch will simply turn with the axle. The gear D might be permanently held against rotation, but this would necessitate a continuous running on the part of the pinions H which would be objectionable. I prefer therefore to employ a brake in conjunction with gear D.

Springsfcould be used in conjunction with the dogs F, but such are not necessary.

I do not confine myself to any particular form or construction of clutch or pawl or ratchet device so far as the establishment of connection between a carrier for the pinions H and the axle is concerned, it being obvious that various forms of clutches or pawl and ratchet devices could be employed. The clutch shown however is exceedingly effective, and is on many accounts preferable.

With reference to the brake operating mechanism or devices shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, each brake-band is attached to its allotted bellcrank M, M understood to be pivoted upon the car frame. These bell-cranks are connected with operating rods N, N and the latter are in turn connected with and operated by chains O, O', respectively. One of these chains is attached to a pulley P fixed upon a rotary hollow shaft or sleeve P while the other is attached to a pulley P2 fixed upon a rotary rod P3 arranged within the hollow shaft. The brakeK is operated from the rotary hollow shaft while the brake L is operated from the rotary rod. A crank handle P4 is secured upon the hollow shaft P and provided with a latch P5 for engaging rod P3 so as to lock the two shafts together. When therefore it is desired to apply with brakes respectively to one and the other of the two gears IC and D, the attendant will turn the crank P4 in a direction to wind up both chains, the two shafts P and P3 at such time being locked together by the latch P5, and after the chains have been wound up sufficiently to tighten the brakes and lock the gears, the shaft P can be locked by any suitable device, such for example as the pawl and ratchet ordinarily employed on street cars. The gears being locked, the spring will wind up until the car stops. To start the car, the attendant will operate latch P5 so as to release the rod Ps and hence release the brake on gear C. After the car has been properly started, the attendant can release the shaft P', and thus release the brake on gear D.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9, levers R and R are separately allotted to the brake-strokes and directly connected with the bell cranks by rods N and N respectively. Each lever can in such case have its own locking device. For example each lever can carry a pawl or dog r for engaging a rack-segment R', and in order to release the pawls at proper times each rack- IOO IOS

IIO

segment can be accompanied by a vibratory releasing bar S pivoted at s at one end and at its opposite end connected with an operating foot-lever or treadle. By operatin g either foot-treadle, its allotted releasing bar will rise alongside its allotted rack-segment and disengage the pawl therefrom, the pawl in such. case riding back along its allotted releasing bar when the lever carrying the pawl swings back. With such arrangement, the lever ccntrolling the brake for gear C can have a lug r which will engage the lever allotted to the brake for gear D, whereby when one lever is thrown forward to lock the brake upon gear C it will carry forward the other lever and hence lock the brake upon gear D, it being observed that at the proper moment, the lever allotted to the brake for gear C can be allowed to swing back and loosen up said brake without disturbing the other lever.

What I claim as my invention isn 1. A car starter comprising a gear connected with the axle by a power storing spring, a clutch interposed between the axle and gear, pinions carried by the clutch and engaging said gear, and an abutment gear engaged by the pinions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A car-starter comprising a clutch device having one of its members fixed upon the axle, pinions carried by the clutch, an abutment gear independent of the axle and engaged by the pinions, a loose gear connected with the axle by awinding spring and engaging the pinions, and suitable brake devices for holding and releasing the gears, substantially as described.

3. In a car-starter, the gearC having a closed chamber, a convolute spring arranged within said chamber and connecting the gear with the axle, and afriction device for connecting and disconnecting said gear with and from the axle, substantially as described.

4. In a car-starter, the clutch arranged upon the axle and comprising inner and outer members with intervening dogs, pinions carried by the outer clutch members, a pair of gears loose upon the axle and engaging the pinions, a winding spring connecting one of said gears with the axle, and means suitablefor holding and releasing the two gears, substantially as described.

5. In a car-starter, the inner clutch member fixed upon the axle, the outer clutch member provided with recesses g, pinions arranged in said recesses, an annular outer band in which the outer ends of the spindles for the pinions have their bearings, and gears engaging the pinions, substantially as described.

6. A car-starter comprising a clutch arranged upon the axle, and carrying pinions, gears engaging the pinions, a spring connecting one of the gears with the axle, brakebands for locking and releasing the spring,

and mechanism for operating the brakes, substantially as described.

THOMAS J. GRAY. lVitnesses:

RETA M. WAGNER, ARTHUR F. DURAND. 

